Convertible toy vehicle



A. G, BECK.

CONVERTIBLE TOY VEHILLEaj APPLICAHON FILED ocLzs, 1919.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

6] i a ucntoz FL G. BE'CK.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR G. BECK, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

CONVERTIBLE TOY VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4., 1921.

Application filed October 28, 1919. Serial No. 333,984.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Convertible Toy Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a convertible toy equipped with rockers and adjustable wheels which may be moved to such position as to permit the toy to be utilized as a vehicle and which, when moved to an inoperative position, expose the rockers and converts the toy into a rocking seat.

Another object is the provision of a toy of this type having a front wheel support so arranged as to swing upon a vertical axis for steering the vehicle and capable, by the utilization of hinges, of being swung to an inoperative position and locked in such position against steering movement.

A further object is the provision of a convertible toy equipped with rear supporting wheels mounted upon an axle or shaft which is movably supported in the rockers and capable of being elevated with relation thereto and maintained in inoperative position thereby.

With these and other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds the invention comprises the novel features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described in the following specification and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the improved toy, illustrating, in dotted lines, the supporting wheels moved to inoperative position.

Fig. 2 represents abottom plan view of the toy.

Fig. 3 represents .a front elevation of the toy, partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail,wherein similar reference numerals designate G. Been, a

' corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 indicates a body constituting a seat which the child or other person occupies when using the toy. Spaced parallel rockers 6 are rigidly secured to the under side of the seat or body 5 and are provided with bottom edges 7 whereby the seat may be rocked upon a floor or other support. Adj acent their upper extremities, the rockers 6 are connected by a spacing element 8 in which is secured a weight 9 designed to counterbalance the steering mechanism which will be hereinafter more fully described in front of the seat 5 and thus maintain the latter in a horizontal position when the toy is being used as a rocker.

An upright 10 is arranged upon the forward portion of the fiat body or seat 5 and is preferably in the form of the head of a goose, as suggested in the drawing, in order that the toy will be attractive to the childs taste. Laterally projecting handles 11 are connected adjacent the upper extremity of the upright whereby the child may conveniently grasp them for steering or rocking the toy and the lower extremity of the upright is provided with a downwardly directed trunnion or pivot pin 12 which is pivotally mounted in the forward extremity of the seat 5 and is provided with a relatively stationary flange 13 preventing withdrawal of the pin 12 and retaining the upright A nected with the flange 13 by a hinge 15 10 in operative position.

which is so arranged as to permit the bear-' ing member to be swung rearwardly to a substantially horizontal position beneath the seat 5 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 but which limits the forward swinging movement of the bearing member to a vertical position, due to the abutment of the terminal of the bearing member with the under side of the flange 13. The lower extremity of the bearing member is bifurcated to receive the front steering wheel 16 which is secured in position upon a bolt 17 positioned through the bifurcations of the bearing member and is prevented from withdrawal by a nut fitted upon the threaded terminal thereof.

A. retaining block 18 is secured to the under side of the seat 5 rearwardly of the flanged trunnion 12 and is provided with a recess 19 to receive a portion of the circumferential edge of the wheel 16 when the lat ter is elevated to inoperative position, as suggested by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The insertion of the wheel in the recessed block prevents the wheel and bearing member from turning with the pin "12 in the front bearing member 14: is pivotally con tains the upright and handles 11 in a rigid immovable position.

A spring latch 19'" is secured to the under side of the seat 5 and is provided with a laterally projecting tooth 20 at its lower end adapted to swing in behind the bearing member 14 when the latter is elevated to prevent the latter from accidentally dropping to operative position. A hook 21 is pivotally connected to the front portion of the bearing member let and is engageable in an eye 22 secured to the flange 13 whereby the bearing member is rigidly maintained in a vertical operative position and is effectively prevented from swinging rearwardlyupon the hinge 15. Vhen the hearing member is swung upwardly and locked in inoperative position, the hook 21 is confined between the teeth of the spring catch ,19 and the lower edge of the bearing mem- The medial portions of the rockers 6 are provided with S-shaped slots 23 receiving an axle 2 11-. Supporting wheels 24; are rotatably supported upon the extremities of the axle 2 1 outwardly of the rockers 6 and the rear extremities of the slots 23 are disposed in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position limiting the movement of the axle 2 1 when weight is disposed on the seat 5 and maintaining the axle in such position that the wheels 2 1 are projected below the bottom edge of the rockers 6 and consequently provide a wheel mount for the toy. The front extremities of the slots 23 are disposed forwardly and downwardly for maintaining the axle 24 and wheels 24 in an elevated position preventingcontact of the wheels with the floor or other support and permitting the toy to be rocked upon the rockers 6. The prominent portions 25 defined by the inclined front portions of the slots prevent movement of the axle into the elongated portions of the slots and effectively maintain it in an inoperative position even during rockingmovement of the toy.

In applying the invention to use, the toy preferably of relatively low form permitting the child to occupy the seat 5 while resting the feet upon the ground in order that by a walkingmovement of the feet the toy when adapted as a vehicle, may be propelled. Due to the pivotal mounting of the upright 10 and the connection of the latter with the bearing 14 for the front wheel the latter may be readily turned on a vertical axis to steer the movement of the vehicle. When desired, the bearing member 14; may be swung upwardly to inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1 by dotted lines and when-so positioned is locked against accidentaldisplacement by the spring latch 19 To move the rear wheels 24c to inoperative position-the axle 24: is moved through the s shaped slots 23 into the inclined front portions of the slots and in front of the prominent portions 25 thereof by which the axle is prevented from moving downwardly with relation to the rockers 6 to operative position. x

If preferred, the hook 21 may be dispensed with and a fastener 21 of the type suggested in Fig. 4 substituted therefor. This fastener comprises a spring metal strip secured at one terminal to the flange 13 of the pin 12 and having its opposite end apertured to receive a pin 22 carried by the bearing member 14 whereby the latter may rigidly be held against movement upon the hinge 15.

hat I claim is:

1. A toy comprising a seat, rockers carried thereby, a steering wheel connected with the front portion of-the seat, said rockers having substantially S-shaped slots therein, an axle movable through the slots in the rockers, and supporting wheels carried by the axle.

2. A toy comprising a seat, rockers con nected therewith, an upright pivotally connected with the front portion of the seat for movement on a vertical axis, a bearing member hinged to the upright, a steering wheel connected with the bearing member, a hook pivotally connected with the bearing member and engageable with a portion of the seat to lock the bearing member in operative position, means engageable with the bearing member for maintaining the latter together with the hook in inoperative position, and adjustable rear supporting wheels for the rockers.

3. A toy comprising ried thereby, a with the front portion of the seat, said rockers having substantially S-shaped slots therein, an axle movable through the slots in the rocker, the forward portions of the slots being inclined forwardly and downwardly whereby to retain the axle in elevated position and the rear portions of the slots being inclined upwardly and rearwardly for the reception of said axle therein, and supporting wheels carried by the axle.

4. A toy comprising a seat, rockers connected therewith, an upright pivotally connected with the front portion of the seat for movement on a vertical axis, a bearing member hinged to the upright, a steeringwheel connected with the bearing member and-movable to inoperative position with relation to the rockers, means for maintaining the hearing member in operative position, means to maintain the bearing member in inoperative position and serving to prevent displace ment of the uprights, and adjustable rear supporting wheels for therockers.

5. A toy comprising a seat, rockers con nected therewith, an upright pivotally cona seat, rockers carnected with thefront portion of the seat for,

movement on a vertical axis, a bearingmemsteering wheel connected bei' hingedly secured to the upright, a steering wheel connected with the bearing member, means to maintain the steering wheel in operative position, means for supporting the bearing member and steering wheel in elevated or inoperative position, means engaging said steering Wheel when elevated to prevent turning movement of the upright, and rear supporting wheels for the rockers.

6. A toy comprising a seat, rockers connected therewith, an upright pivotally connected with the seat for movement on a vertical axis, a bearing member hinged to the upright, a steering wheel connected with the bearing member and movable to inoperative position with relation to the rockers, means for maintaining the steering wheel in operative position, a spring latch coacting with the bearing member to support the latter in elevated or inoperative position, a recessed block secured to the seat and receiving the wheel when elevated to prevent displacement of the latter or the upright, and adjustable rear supporting wheels for the rockers.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

ARTHUR Gr. BECK. 

